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February 16, 2016

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Top 3 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Company

A website is up to scratch only if it helps you generate enough visitors. If your business doesn’t appear on the first page of search results, most of your customers will not even be aware that you exist. You can get around this problem if you buy website traffic. But it is also essential to […]

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Top 3 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Company

February 16, 2016

A website is up to scratch only if it helps you generate enough visitors. If your business doesn’t appear on the first page of search results, most of your customers will not even be aware that you exist. You can get around this problem if you buy website traffic. But it is also essential to hire an SEO company to optimize your website for search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. But there is a caveat: an SEO company can either make or break your business, so it is important to ask the right questions to know which SEO company will be good for your business.

Who are your biggest clients?

The wisest decision for a shopper in any domain is to ask for references and a client bank. It’s no different when you are looking to hire an SEO company. Ask for at least 4-5 names, which must include businesses in your niche. The SEO company must be able to demonstrate how they made a difference to those companies in terms of optimization for search engines. This will give you an excellent idea of the market standing of that SEO company and a confirmation of its capabilities to handle legitimate businesses like yours. It is important to find out who their loyal customers are because that will reveal the tactics employed by the SEO company.

What will be your strategy to improve my position in search engine results?

Irrespective of the size of the company, all reputed SEO companies have a well-oiled strategy to follow when they sign on a client. It is absolutely essential to ask what their strategy is going to be specifically for your website. A reticent or cagy SEO company should be a warning sign because that could mean an SEO company with ad hoc measures and undefined goals. After all, it’s not staccato results you are after, but long-terms rewards in the form of a consistent buildup of web traffic for your website. Satisfy yourself about the quality of backlinks to ensure that you’ll get enough legit good links and not a bunch of automated no-good ones. Get contact details of the person who will be handling your SEO requirements. That will help you follow up and raise red flags when needed and also build a one-to-one comfort level; it’s no good having to go through the board each time you call.

How will I be able to measure the impact of your SEO strategy for my website?

When you hire an SEO company, remember that you are virtually handing over your website. Therefore, it is critical that the SEO company clarifies upfront about their reporting system, which will help you keep up with the changes made to your website. You can neutralize risks only if you trust the SEO company you hire, and that company should bear out that trust by following legal tactics and opening an uninterrupted communication channel with your internal team. You can avoid many pitfalls if the SEO company is willing to let you track every move.

Before you hire an SEO company, watch out for tell-tale signs of false promises (“We’ll make your website the top result in searches!”) and illegal practices (such as violations of Google’s best practices). That will help you stay clear of SEO companies that go overboard to please but fail to deliver.